Grant activity and other news

Grants Awarded

2017-2018: $15,154

• Spanish Dance Performance – Flamenco Boston will come to the middle school for a one-hour performance which also includes an interactive component
• LHS Band Percussion Cabinet – enables percussion students to organize auxiliary materials, allows for more productive rehearsal time and preservation of equipment
• Empowering Young Writers – a workshop in personal narrative writing for third graders
• Model UN – authentically engages 6th grade students in learning about important global issues and the process that countries use to problem solve and cooperate with one another
• Etching Press – enriches the art of printmaking for middle school art students by challenging them intellectually, conceptually and artistically
• Holocaust Speaker – a Holocaust survivor speaks to high school students as part of the Facing History and Ourselves program
• Measuring C02 in the time of Global Warming – 8^th grade science students will be able to more accurately measure the impact of increased carbon dioxide on temperature and on the pH of oceans with these sensors
• Creative Writing Author Visit – local professional writers come to speak to Creative Writing students at LHS
• Build a Story with Andrea Lovett – a professional storyteller guides 2^nd graders in the writing and performing of their own stories
• Visit by Bosnian Genocide survivor – a survivor of this tragic event speaks to LHS students sharing her firsthand account
• Visit by Cambodian Genocide survivor – this speaker delivers his personal experience to LHS students about how his life and the lives of his loved ones have been impacted by genocide
• 8th grade Sustained Silent Reading – copies of Stella by Starlight and The Watsons go to Birmingham will help to enrich students’ understanding of US history from the end of the Civil War to the signing of the Civil Rights Act
• Podcasting – equipment to aid all LHS students to produce and publish quality audio content

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2016-2017: $13,340 

• Bosnian Genocide Survivor visit – The High School’s Facing History class will meet a survivor of the Bosnian genocide
• Wacom Graphics Tablets -students in graphic design, photography, and animation will be able to use a more natural input device for their creativity
• Electronic Art – all 4th graders at Russell Street will combine art with electronics using copper tape, LEDs, and coin cell batteries
• FIRST Robotics equipment – a milling machine will extend the capabilities of the high school machine shop
• Outdoor Classroom – as phase one, the Russell Street school will install seating and an easel for an outdoor classroom
• The Breadwinner – 6th grade world geography students will read the story of a young middle-school aged girl in Afghanistan during the rise of the Taliban
• Printmaking – middle school artists will learn about the ancient art of printmaking by using the techniques hands-on
• Virtual Reality in the Classroom – virtual reality reviewers allow students to ‘visit’ places all around the world without leaving the classroom
• Visit by Survivor of the Holocaust – a survivor of the Holocaust speaks to students as part of the ‘Facing History and Ourselves’ program at the High School
• Rob Surette Amazing Hero Art – an artist paints huge portraits that celebrate history, science, social studies, literature, art, music, and drama. The message: dreams can come true and you can change the world
• Inch by Inch, Row by Row, Gonna Make Our Garden Grow! – students will be able to participate in caring for and observing the life cycle of vegetables year round
• Junior Scholastic in 6th Grade Social Studies – routinely integrates engaging and relevant current events into the lives and education of 6th grade students
• Science Olympiad Support – this interscholastic competition allows students to leave the confines of LHS and test their abilities against the top students from other Massachusetts schools

2015-2016: $9,287

• Bosnian Genocide Survivor visit – The High School’s Facing History class will meet a survivor of the Bosnian genocide
• Geography Alive – curriculum resources for sixth grade World Geography classes
• Olympic Fencer Molly Sullivan Sliney – interactive visit encouraging students to pursue their dreams through goal setting and hard work
• Author Sy Montgomery – Skype sessions with the author and the fifth grade
• Historia Antiqua Presentation- an interactive, hands-on in-house field trip for all students in the high school Latin program
• Changing the World with Renewable Energy – K’nex Renewable Energy sets for sixth grade science classes
• Printmaking – Eighth grade art students will learn to create screen printed art
• Seeing Heat with an Infrared Camera – an iPhone infrared camera will make thermal energy visible for 8th grade science students
• Learning Chemistry through Environmental Issues – enhanced curriculum strengthening students’ understanding of the roles that science and engineering have played in our environmental problems and to explore solutions to these problems
• LMS Engineering Club – solar kits, Arduino/Raspberry Pi and other equipment for students in LMS to explore engineering
• Marion Stoddart’s Work of 1000 – LHS students will learn about Marion’s grass roots campaign to stop pollution in the Nashua river
• Audible Text for ELA – HS English students improve reading comprehension skill with audio books to enhance their own reading.

2014-2015: $11,881

• Fused Glass – 8th grade students will make abstracted landscapes using glass fusing techniques
• Liven Up the Library – creating a lively and relevant physical space at the Middle School Library
• Spectrum Tube Power Supply – high school students will be able to view color emissions of pure elements, engaging them and demonstrating an important historical experiment
• Build a Story with Andrea Lovitt – Professional storyteller leads 2nd graders through the process of creating and performing personal narratives
• Holocaust Survivor Visit – A survivor of the Holocaust speaks to students as part of the Facing History and Ourselves program at the High School
• Black Heritage Trail and Museum of African American History – US History I students learn about the role of African Americans in our history
• Measuring Photosynthesis – An oxygen gas sensor will provide middle school students the ability to investigate the nature of photosynthesis
• Bosnian Genocide Survivor – The High School’s Facing History class will meet a survivor of the Bosnian genocide
• Magna-Tiles for Math and Science – Hands-on materials for third grade classes to explore geometric concepts
• LEGO robots for STEM – Mindstorm robot kids and sound detector modules for use in the Engineering Club and Middle School computer classes
• iPad Audio Equipment – Microphones and headphones to support 4th graders’ ability to create original movies
• Flag Football Equipment – physical education equipment for recess, to support cooperative social skill building
• Potato Hill Poet-in-Residence – Local poet to work with 3rd graders to create a love for poetry
• Green Team – materials for implementing a program to compost food waste at the High School and Middle School as well as initiate a water bottle lending program and gardening supplies
• Science Extravaganza – Innovative and engaging science experiments for Kindergarteners
• Maya Field Trip – 8th graders visit the Museum of Science to visit a special exhibit on Mayan culture

2013-2014: $13,251

• Second grade Garden – Supplies for an ongoing collaborative effort between Littleton Community Farm, Camp Tahattawan, and Shaker Lane school to create a three-season vegetable, annual, and perennial garden.
• Listening Center – for simultaneously reading and listening to books to increase literacy skills
• High School YogaEd – Equipment to support this new physical education class promoting both healthy bodies and minds
• Raz-Kids for Reading – Gives third grader students school and home access to differentiated, animated online books
• Historia Antiqua presentation – an interactive, hands-on in-house field trip on Pompeii for all students in the high school Latin program
• Multi-tom quad Drum – new percussion equipment for the marching band
• Mobile Document Camera – allows the visual display of physical materials to the entire class
• Starbase Hanscom – Bus transportation for a month-long enrichment STEM program for fifth graders at Hanscom Air Force Base
• Holocaust Survivors Visit – survivors of the Holocaust speak to students as part of the Facing History and Ourselves program at the High School
• Oboe – Additional instrument to help meet the needs of a growing instrumental music program
• Photo Printer – high-quality photo printer for LHS digital media classes
• Helen Keller – given by Sheryl Faye presents Historical Women
• MCBA Books – Purchase of books from the list of Massachusetts Children’s Book Awards

2012-2013: $11,245.00

• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Education Enrichment – continuing funding for STEAM clubs encompassing students from grades 6-12, including Botball funding, Arduino controllers, and 3D printing supplies
• Plimouth Plantation trip – Honors US History I students experience historic Plimouth Plantation
• Health and Wellness Day – funding for presentations to middle schoolers in conjunction with the Wellness Committee
• Magna-Tiles for Math Mastery – hands-on experience with 2-D and 3-D geometry concepts for grade-schoolers
• Holocaust Survivors Visit – survivors of the Holocaust speak to students as part of the Facing History and Ourselves program at the High School
• Artist of the Week – art prints for middle school art students to study art history
• Historia Antiqua presentation – an interactive, hands-on presentation on the Roman Army for all students in the high school Latin program
• Flugelhorn – a brass instrument for the Music department to be used jazz ensemble as well as other bands

2011-2012: $12,729

• STEM Education Enrichment – Materials to support a middle school and high school Engineering Club
• All Fired Up – supplies for clay and glass art projects
• Museum of Fine Arts American Wing – Sophomores visit the new American wing of the Museum of Fine Arts in conjunction with honors US History I and honors English curriculum
• Pocket Scales – scales for 4th grade use in math and science
• Band Performance at Disney World – grant to assist members of the High School band participate in music workshops and a performance in a Disney park.
• La Torre y La Isla – Spanish language novels for use in AP Spanish language and culture classes
• Holocaust Survivors Visit – survivors of the Holocaust speak to students as part of the Facing History and Ourselves program at the High School
• Notes in Spanish – an online tool for students to improve vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension skills, and cultural awareness
• Community Mural – supplies for a mural located in the High School, designed and painted by HS art students
• Science Online – subscription to an online learning database including a broad range of scientific disciplines, including Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy, Forensics, and Computer Science
• Mathematics Enrichment Materials– resources for MS/HS Math League
• Ceramics Studio – ceramics wheel for use by art students
• Galileo Visit – actor visits Seventh Grade students and portrays Galileo, asking questions and pretending all the while to know nothing of modern times but willingly recounting life and scientific developments of his time (1564-1642)
• A Day in Pompeii – funding for Latin students to view an exhibit of artifacts from Pompeii

2010-2011: $12,968

• Making the Invisible Visible – Fifteen kits for students to build DNA models to further
  understanding of genetics.
• Comprehension Games– Literacy games that foster fun and learning while helping to identify
  areas where additional instruction may be necessary.
• Genocide Survivor – Personal testimonial from two survivors (i.e. Holocaust, Cambodia,
  Rwanda) for a senior course on the genocides of the 20th Century.
• IWork for Mac Lab – Software for the creation of documents, presentations, spreadsheets,
  brochures, posters, and art photographs for twenty new high school computers.
• Hula Hoops Program – Hoops for playground use and an instructive assembly to get kids
  excited about this unique form of exercise.
• Musical Keyboards – Sixteen keyboards to enhance general middle school music instruction.
• Mock Archaeological Dig – Speaker and program-artifacts are hidden outside for students
  to “discover” and bring back to class for discussion and identification.
• Letter People Puppets – Funding to assist with the replacement of aging but beloved Letter
  People for the kindergarten alphabet recognition program.
• World Language Classics –Twenty copies of Don Quixote and thirty copies La Catrina, written
  in Spanish for high school honors program
• World Language Enrichment – Funding for classic novels in Spanish, French, and Latin for the Foreign Language Department at the High School.
• So Far From the Bamboo Grove – Lessons for a Lifetime – Author Yoko Kawashima Watkins visits 6th grade students to tell them the story of her escape from Korea during WWII at the age of 11.
• Display Rails for Middle School – Display rails for showcasing student work in the 6th grade wing to enrich the learning environment by exposing all students to each other’s academic work.
• Adam Ezra School Music Workshop/Concert – Group assisted students with songwriting and worked with them to create and perform an original concert for the student body. Concert was videotaped and prepared for cable TV by other students.

2009-2010: $11,947

• Time for Kids – funds for Second Grade current events weekly
• High School Music Library Resource Collection – to purchase DVDs about composers, music history and theory and quizzes to accompany them
• Graphic Novels for ELL Students – graphic novels of fiction and non-fiction with picture format for use by English language learners as well as reluctant readers in Grades 2-5
• Discovery Education United Streaming Videos – K-8 Science and learning software to pique the interest of bi-lingual and dyslexic students as well as those with other reading issues. Provides prompts to interest kids in writing project. Atlas feature teaches about lands and culture
• Weather Station Software – WeatherlinkIP software that links the school’s weather station output directly to a computer network and includes capabilities for student tracking and graphing of weather trends over time. For Grade 4 and later community-wide
• Concord Consortium Universal Design in Science and Math – equipment to take advantage of a technology rich science curriculum for learning in Grades 3-6 which encourages use of the scientific method and exploration
• Galileo Visit – actor visits Seventh Grade students and portrays Galileo, asking questions and pretending all the while to know nothing of modern times but willingly recounting life and scientific developments of his time (1564-1642)
• Three Cups of Tea – purchase for Sixth Grade of 150 young reader copies of Greg Mortenson’s book which brings a perspective of life and politics in Afghanistan and Pakistan where he founded the Central Asia Institute which went on to found over 50 schools in impoverished areas of Central Asia
• High School Band Repertoire and Clinician – funding to purchase pieces of music for the Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Memorial Day Parade music as well as 6 sessions from Indian Hill for master classes
• Digital Bulletin Board – purchase of 32″ digital picture frame to display students’ visual art works, slides of performing arts and even sporting events
• Botball Robotics Club – funds to support Botball Robotics Club team and competition for Middle School students
• Explorelearning Subscription – subscription to a learning website that provides experiments and simulations to support curriculum in High School Biology class
• Printmaking and Bookmaking – purchase of a printing press and accessories for High School students to experience the unique artistic experience of comprehensive printmaking and book making
• Los Destinos/Neuavos Destinos – televised immersion program to improve speaking, listening and comprehension skills using everyday situations with native speakers
• Worm Composting – Kindergarten classes will dispose of leftover food scraps and organic waste to be composted by worms; the compost to be used later to plant seeds
• Deana’s Educational Theater – actors present a program designed to prevent violence and to promote healthy relationships, particularly focusing on bullying and respect
• VoiceThread Subscription – secure communications platform allowing students to create presentations and collaborate with classmates and beyond

2008-2009: $12,186

• Interactive Fantom Software for High School – software to be used in conjunction with Infocus projector to explain and demonstrate concepts in Statistics
• Race and Membership in America – text books for course dealing with the understanding of issues of race in American history, touching on identity, self-definition, civil rights and immigration over the last two hundred plus years
• In-School Archeology Field Trip for Grade 7 – program through which students engage in a mock archaeological dig on school grounds and then conduct labs with paid instructor
• Second Grade Geography Materials – purchase of pull-down maps and globes to enhance learning of Geography
• Peer Mediation Training at High School – funding provided to pay for skilled coach to train students who will assist in finding positive ways to intervene when peer conflict arises
• So Far From the Bamboo Grove – lessons for a lifetime – funds to help pay for the author Yoko Kawashima Watkins to visit 6th Grade, students who are the same age that Mrs. Kawashima was when she escaped from Korea during WWII
• Middle School Marimba Band Equipment – purchase of a Marimba for the percussion section of the LMS Band program
• Middle School and High School Botball Robotics Club – funds to support Botball Robotics club, team, and competition
• Understanding Science through Anatomy – skeletons, plastic human heads, hardwood artist manikins, and sketch boards for High School study of anatomy through consideration of human bone structure, linking science, history, and health
• Honors History Class trip to Fruitlands – provides partial funding for class trip to Fruitlands Museum
• Historical Portraiture – printing supplies for study of historical portraits by American photographers, photojournalists, and historians – with the amateur student photographer using faculty members as models
• Seeing the Moon through Galileo’s Eyes – telescope kits for 7th Grade project celebrating 2009, the International Year of Astronomy

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